Being a pagan for as long as I can remember and a big fan of Deborah Blake's work, I was delighted to have the opportunity to review this oracle deck.
But before I begin, a little about why oracle cards are so useful.
They can be used alone to give short readings, think a card a day or a three card spread to answer a question which can cover past, present and future etc.
They can be used as clarifiers when a tarot card you've pulled needs a little more context or explaining.
The meanings given can be as unique as the person who designed them, meaning that each oracle deck you have contain their own unique messages and can give a specific answer than what a tarot card can sometimes.
As oracle cards are generally bigger than a standard tarot card, I find that they are eye catching when giving or receiving a reading when used to represent the overarching energy of a situation.
This oracle deck by Deborah Blake comes in a compact box with a lid which lifts off to reveal a 99 page guidebook, which contains information on the author Deborah Blake and artist Elisabeth Alba, details on how to use the cards and how they progress through the deck, simple spreads and more.
The cards have been divided into four sections and represent the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, which is something I love about these...and yes I know I might be a little bias here, but it really feels like a lot of thought has been put into the detail and is something I personally look for in oracle, tarot and even the books I read, as it shows how much someone has put into the item.
At the end of the booklet there is also a guide to using them with the Everyday Witch Tarot, which highlights my earlier point about using oracle cards as clarifiers for tarot readings.
The booklet contains meanings for each card, along with an Action, Divination and Magic practice that you can do if you feel called to.
The cards themselves are quite large, but even my small hands can still manage to shuffle them, of course if you run into trouble there is always the option of putting them on a clean flat surface and pushing them around until you feel they are sufficiently mixed up.
There are no reverse meanings for these cards, although I don't think I've seen an oracle deck have reverse meanings, so it's possibly just a tarot thing... But please pop it in the comments if you know of an oracle deck that includes reverse meanings, as I'm sure we'd all be interested to know about them.
The art work by Elisabeth Alba speaks of our connection to the elements and the Animal Kingdom alike, with the Witches Familiar present in each card and one of the four elements also in the depiction.
The back of the cards also show the elements in the center with four cats leaping around them, this is another touch to these cards that I really like, as quite often the back of the cards have simple pattern on them that doesn't speak of the cards energy in the same way as the rest of the imagery.
To give you an idea of what the cards are like and the types of meanings you can expect, I've included the Prosperity and Abundance card below.
As you can see this Witch is living the good life, who doesn't want a bit of that!?
Lounging in a garden chair, shoes off, out in nature having a sneaky glass of wine, having done all of the work to get there, while her kitty cat familiar is playing at her feet.
Although I hope she doesn't keep her eyes closed for too long, or that sneaky rascal to her right is going to get her cake lol, but you get the vibe, it's light-hearted and feels like there's no shred of stress to be seen.
Having imagery like this that draws you in makes them really easy to read even if you haven't looked at the booklet they come with, and is why I'm really liking Elisabeth Alba's work and it's use in this deck.
The description of the card included in the booklet is
"Prosperity and abundance are not the same things, and they may mean something different to each of us. Prosperity usually has to do with monetary success, but it can also mean the feeling of success and good fortune, which you can have even without money. Abundance means having enough of what you need, plus maybe a little bit more. Feeling as though you have prosperity and abundance is less about how much money you have than how you view your life. remember to count your blessings instead of just the coins in your wallet"
"Divination: This card is a suggestion that you count your blessings. The universe is telling you that you have whatever you need and probably much of what you want. If you're asking about a project or goal of some kind, the answer is almost certainly yes; it will be a success. But mostly, it is a symbol of what you already have and a reminder to appreciate it."
There is also an Action step on how to shift your focus on what you already have, a bit like a gratitude exercise to help focus on the positives and Magic, which outlines a simple prosperity spell. So as you can see the deck can be used in more than one way, and offers more than a reading alone, which I've found to be a really nice addition to what is already fast becoming one of my favourite oracle decks.
I would also like to thank Llewellyn Publications for the opportunity to review this oracle deck, if you would like to purchase a copy you can do so by clicking the link above, which will take you directly to their website or it can be purchased from most reputable bookshops and online retailers.
If you enjoyed this, you can sign up to have these sent directly to your inbox or you may also like my blog post on working with the full moon energy...
You can read more of my reviews on titles such as The Healthy Witch, The Soul's Twins and other informative pieces in my back catalogue.
Until next time..
Love & Light
Georgie
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